Resilient wheel.



S. S. WELLS.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 2b. ISI/1.

1,152,004. Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

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SHELDON S. WELLS, F SHORT HILLS, NEW JRSEY.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

Application led November 25, 1914. Serial No. 873,899.

To all whom may concern Y Be it known that I, SHnLDoN S. WELLS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Short Hills, in the county ofEssex and State ofV New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Resilient Illlieels, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to resilient wheels and its novelty consists inthe construction and adaptation of the parts as will be more fullyhereinafter pointed out.

Resilient wheels comprising individual yieldable elastic members inplace of the annularly arranged pneumatic tire are not unknown to theart. Many of them include coiled springs which are alternatelycompressed and expanded under the usual conditions of traction. Suchsprings rapidly wear out due to the torsional strains on the metal ofwhich they are composed. Plunger spokes, acting to compress a volume ofair confined in a closed space have been frequently tried. They,however, lack rigidity and are weak and unsafe under stresses at anangle to the general plane of the wheel.

The purpose of my invention is' to overcome these difficulties anddisadvantages and to that end, my wheel comprises a exible treading rimpreferably equipped with a solid tire, and a series of reciprocatingplungers moved radially from saidV rim and acting through suitablelevers to compress a' series of elastic blocks suitably' supported forthe purpose.

In the drawings Figure l, is a side elevation of a preferred form of awheel embodying my invention, some of the parts being broken away toshow concealed parts. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portionof the wheel; Fig. 3 is a radial section on the plane of the line 3-3 inFig.'2. Fig. -1 is a cylindrical section along the surface 11--4 in Fig2 and showing the parts immediately beneath such surface and Fig. 5 is aperspective detail of two of thelinks of the flexible rim.

In the drawings indicates an axle, 11 a hub, 12, 12, 12 spokes, and 13 afelly, all of usual construction. Surrounding the felly and suitablysecured thereto in any convenient manner is a rim 14, of metal andprovided with radial brackets 15 symmetrically arranged at intervals andalso provided with1 inner and outer peripheral flanges 16 and 17, theformer having a recessed tire reeving ring 1S secured to or madeintegral therekwith and the latter khaving a recessed tire receivingring 19 adapted to be secured thereto by nuts and bolts indicated at 20.Outside of this rim and suitably spaced therefrom is a ring 21 providedat regular intervals with inwardly projecting annular sockets 22, 22each surrounding an aperture in the ring. Transverse radial inwardlyprojectingflanges 23, 23 divide the ring into a series ofvreceivingpockets, adapted to receive rubber blocks, the pockets being arranged intwo series one on each side of the series of sockets. rIwo annularperipheral langes'2l, 24 are secured to or made integral with the ring21. In each pocket is secured a rubber block 25. Y

Beyond and outside of the ring 21 is an outer flexible rim'made up of aseries of socket blocks 26, each provided with projecting trunnions 27,27 adapted to engageV link blocks 28 through projections 29 provided forthat purpose. Plungers 30, one to each block 26, are secured therein bya threaded connection, and adapted to project inwardly and to bereciprocat'ed in the sockets 22 of the ring 21 provided for thatpurpose.

Intermediate the rim 14 and the ring 21 is a series of transmissionlevers 31, each adapted to swing on one of the brackets 15 by a pivot32. Each lever carries at one end a roller 33 adapted to contact withthe inner face of one of the lplungers 30, and at its opposite end isprovided with forks 31 on each of which is mounted a roller 35 adaptedto contact with the rubber block immediately beneathit. The roller 33over a plunger is in transverse line with two rollers 35 mountedon thelever the roller on the other end of which contacts with the nextplunger of the series.

A rubber tire 36 of usual form is mounted on the wheel and surrounds theouter flexible rim.

' In use as the wheel revolves and one of the Socket blocks 2G comesnearest -to the ground, the plunger is relatively moved 4inwardly andcontacting with the roller` 33 in contact with it, moves the lever 31to'y which the roller is 'attached and; swings 'it on its fulcrumtipping the forked end of the lever until the two rollers which itcarries compress the respective blocks of rubber :Zbe-

neath them thus affording an elastic resist- .3.11.06 t9 lll@ inwardpush of the plunger 30,

`tures between the blocks,

which resistance is multiplied by the leverage through which it isexerted. As the strain on the plunger is relieved the elasticity ot therubber blocks restore it at once to normal condition.

lfhat I claim is 1. A resilient wheelrcomprising a sectional flexiblerim, plungers inwardly movable therefrom and means to limit the extentot their movement comprising a solid elastic medium and an indirectconnection between it and each plunger, including a lever moved by theplunger against such medium and rollers contacting with the medium andthe plunger in transmitting the movement.

2. In a wheel ot the kind described, a telly, a treading rim outside otthe same and resilient devices between them comprising an intermediatering, cushions carried thereon, plungers moved tromthe treading rim,brackets supported trom the telly and levers pivoted on the brackets andmoved by the plungers against the cushions.

3. In a wheel ot the kind described, a telly, a treading rim outside otthe same and resilient devices between them comprising an intermediatering, a series ot plungers moved trom thel treading rim, a series otelastic blocks carried by the intermediate ring and connections betweenthe blocks and the plungers to compress the blocks when the plungers aremoved. v

4. A resilient wheel comprising a hub, spokes and telly, a rim securedto the telly and provided with a series ot brackets, a ring surroundingthe rim and provided with rubber blocks, and with a series ot aperaflexible treading ring and spaced theretrom, a series ot plungerssecured to the treading rim and adapted to pass through the ringapertures, and levers pivoted on the brackets and contacting with theplun` gers and the rubber blocks.

5. In a resilient wheel the combination with a treading rim ot a seriesot radially arranged plungers, a series ot'elastic compression membersdisposed in pairs and arranged in line therewith and a pivotalconnection between each plunger and the adjacent elastic member not inline therewith.

6. In a resilient wheel the combination rim surrounding the `with atreading rim ot a series ot radially arranged plungers, a series otelastic members arranged in pairs, one on each side ot each plunger, anda pivotal connection between each plunger and the pair ot elasticmembers arranged on each side ot the next plunger in the series.

In a resilient wheel the combination with a treading rim ot a series otradially Copies of this patent may `be obtained for arranged plungers, aseries ot elastic members arranged in pairs one on each side ot eachplunger, and a pivotal connection between each plunger and the pair otelastic members arranged on each side ot the next plunger in the series,such connection including a lever adapted to contact with tue plungerand both members.

8. A wheel ot the class described comprisi g a rim adjacent to thetelly, a ring and a. treading rim concentric therewith, a series otradial plungers secured to the treading rim and reciprocating withrespect to the ring, rubber blocks secured to the ring, one alongside oteach plunger and a series ot levers supported trom the telly rim eachadapted to contact with a plunger and with the rubber block alongside otthe next plunger.

9. A wheel ot the class described com` prising a rim adjacent to thetelly, a ring and a treading rim concentric therewith, a series otradial plungers secured to the treading rim and reciprocating withrespect to the ring, rubber blocks secured to the ring in pairs on twosides ot each plunger and a series ot forked levers pivoted to the tellyrim, the straight end ot each lever adapted to contact'with a plungerand each ot the torked ends ot the same adapted to contact with therubber blocks alongside ot the next plunger.

10. A resilient wheel comprising a flexible outer rim, a linked innerrim, plungers connected thereto at the center ot the links, a telly, arim arranged on the telly, a ring secured to the last mentioned rim,provided with openings tor the plungers, and pivoted means engagingresilient members associated with the plungers.v the telly rim, and thering, tor limiting the movement ot the outer rim.

1l. A resilient wheel comprising an outer rim, plungers connectedthereto, a telly, a

rim supported thereon, a ring supported on said rim, said ring providedwith a series ot central openings arranged to receive the plungers, anda plurality ot pockets arranged in pairs on either side ot the plungersand adapted to receive elastic members, and means between the ends otsaid plungers and the elastic members tor transmitting the travel ot thetormer to elastic action ot the latter.

In testimony whereot I atix my signature in presence ot two witnesses.

SHELDON S. VELLS.

Witnesses:

MARY H. LEwIs, ADA L. BARRETT.

ve cents each, by addressing' the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,D. C.

